It's back to Top 14 action for our tipsters. Who will they be backing in this last pre-Six Nations weekend?

After a successful first week's Pro D2 tipping, normal service was resumed last week as both tipsters blew their naps. In fact, Jacques Hughes saw all three of his treble tips go west but did get every other result right, while Barry Mutuel had to wait till the final match of the weekend to pick up his only point at Pau.

It's back to Top 14 action this week, and a last chance for the clubs' internationals to impress before the Six Nations. But will our tipsters impress too?

The tips are based on Paddy Power's handicap tips for each week's Top 14 matches. Our tipsters will pick the winner of each game based on Paddy's head-starts, and nominate three games to put their hard-earned euros on. One of these three will be their banker - the Nap.

For every tip they get right, they get a point, with double points for the Nap. But if they get the Nap wrong, they lose two points. We've borrowed Napoleon's hat from Eric & Ernie to show you what the Naps are on the chart below.

Right, down to business - here are this week's handicaps - as set by Paddy Power - and our tips:

Top 14, Week 16 (handicap winners in bold)	Barry Mutuel (53+5pts)	Jacques Hughes (59+7pts)
Montpellier -5 vs Stade Francais +5 (38-6)	Montpellier	Montpellier
Brive -4 vs Perpignan +4 (17-9)	Perpignan	Brive
Castres -5 vs Biarritz +5 (29-23)	Castres	Castres
Lyon -4 vs Agen +4 (19-11)	Lyon	Lyon
Toulon -12 vs Bayonne +12 (50-10)	Toulon	Toulon
Racing-Metro -3 vs Toulouse +3 (13-19)	Toulouse	Racing-Metro
Bordeaux-Begles +4 vs Clermont -4 (10-17)	Clermont	Clermont

Barry's bets
Perpignan +4 vs Brive, Castres -5 vs Biarritz, Toulon -12 vs Bayonne

I need help. Like a gambler in the bookies or an alcoholic down the pub, I just can’t ignore USAP on these handicap lists. I don’t know why. They’ve blown me out more times than a windsock, but I’m drawn to them once again. Their Amlin Cup exit could be a blessing in disguise, he says hopefully, so all eyes are now fixed on a big finish in the league. Expect the Catalan outfit’s myriad of international stars to put in a big performance against a shaky Brive team, before they head off in all directions for Six Nations duty.

Much like USAP, Castres return to league action after a disappointing European campaign. This weekend they entertain a Biarritz outfit that did better than expected in the H-Cup, and who’ve been rewarded with a last-eight berth in the Amlin Cup for their efforts. To be fair, the Basques have been playing well of late in Europe and the league, but I fancy the home side to put in a big performance to continue their push for a top four place. Biarritz may sneak a losing bonus point, but Castres can cover the five-point spread on offer.

Bayonne have imploded once again, sacking their interim coach and replacing him with, erm, yet more interim coaches before they themselves are replaced by Christian Lanta and Christophe Deylaud at the end of the season. What a mess for a team who’d invested so heavily in prime overseas talent such as Mike Phillips, JP Pietersen and Jo Rokocoko. I don’t see things changing for them in time for Saturday’s trip to Toulon. Although the home side are not to be relied on too much, take them to easily dispose of their opponents from the far west.

Jacques backs...
Montpellier -5 vs Stade Francais, Toulon -12 vs Bayonne, Brive -4 vs Perpignan

Montpellier's 19-all draw in Paris back in August was the high point of their early season, and remains Stade Francais's only dropped home points. Les Heraultais have got their act together since and have climbed to the brink of the play-offs. Stade are still unreliable on the road and I don't expect them to pick up as much as a bonus point on Friday night so it's a 'Pellier Nap for me.

Club president Mourad Boudjellal has been making the headlines in Toulon of late, and his latest outburst has earned him a 130-day ban from the changing room and bench. This is no bad thing - coach Bernard Laporte may not miss the comic millionaire's brooding presence on the touchline and the visit of troubled Bayonne (we don't even know who's coaching them this week) is the perfect opportunity for Toulon to put the emphasis back on on-field matters. Expect a big win.

I've struggled for this third tip. Biarritz seem to be turning a corner, and Lyon-Agen is too close to call. So I'm going to sit back and watch Perpignan continue their season-long struggle and come unstuck against a Brive side whose impressive Amlin Cup form may provide the spark for them to claim only their fourth Top 14 victory of the season.

Guide to Top 14 handicap betting
Remember this is handicap betting, where the bookie has predicted the margin of victory and set the odds for a win to either side to 10/11. This week, Lyon are -4 vs Agen, so if you back Lyon, they have to win by at least 5 points for you to claim your winnings. If you think they'll only win by 3 or will lose altogether, back Agen instead. You won't make much taking a bet at 10/11, so it's better to put three or more bets together for an accumulator: if all three come in, your odds multiply so a £1 bet will win around £7 and so on. Of course, if you get one bet wrong, you lose the lot.